


Colours

by Mischel



Series: 10 Years of Merlin & Arthur [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic, Banter, Colours, Humor, Husbands, M/M, Painting, merthurdaily's Ten Years of Merlin & Arthur
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 19:24:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17086274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mischel/pseuds/Mischel
Summary: It's a big day for Merlin and Arthur. An artist is supposed to come and paint them - the king and his happy husband. Unfortunately, not everything goes according to plan, and the artist has to start all over. Humor. Also includes a battle of colours and paintbrushes.





	Colours

It really was an accident, you see, it shouldn't have happened at all. It wasn't a part of the plan for the day, and yet . . .

 

It all began with the artist arriving early in the morning. Merlin barely managed to wake up and then wake Arthur up (who, luckily, was sleeping in the same bed as him, in the royal chambers), and then they both had to get ready for the artist to arrive. Without breakfast!

 

Arthur had paid him to make a portrait of him and Merlin. They were finally ruling the kingdom together, just like Arthur had always dreamed they would be.

 

“Almost, just . . . “ Merlin reached for Arthur's collar and gently pulled it up, brushing his shoulders and smiling up at him. “Done.” Arthur leaned down to give him a peck. “Am I done?” Merlin asked and stepped away, turning around on the spot.

 

Arthur squinted at him, seemingly thinking about it, before he shook his head. Merlin's smile faded.

 

“You're missing the most important thing, Merlin.”

 

Merlin quickly checked what he was wearing – he didn't forget his trousers, or his socks, shoes or underwear (yeah, that happened once), and every other garment that he was supposed to wear, he was already wearing. He frowned at Arthur in confusion.

 

Arthur just rolled his eyes and pulled him closer again. “I meant a kiss for good luck,” he told Merlin as he kissed his lips and then wrapped him in a tight hug.

 

“We don't need good luck, it's just a painting, Arthur. We won't be the ones painting.”

 

“Quite frankly, Merlin, _you_ always need good luck.” _You're always so clumsy_ , was left unsaid. But Merlin got it and rolled his eyes before he melted into the hug.

 

He sighed. “Who would have thought? Arthur Pendragon, addicted to hugging his boyf- _husband._ ” He still couldn't quite believe that this was how things were now. They were officially together.

 

“Breathe a word of this to anyone, and . . . “ Arthur whispered into his hair, making Merlin chuckle.

 

“This is the Arthur that I've fallen in love with.” He smiled and pulled away, one more time kissing Arthur's lips before they both got ready for the painting one more time.

 

That was when someone knocked on the door.

 

“Enter!” Arthur called.

 

The door opened, and a lanky middle-aged man walked in, carrying a canvas, a few brushes in his hands, and a smile on his face. Two servants who held all the paints and palettes followed.

 

“It is my pleasure, my lords,” the artist bowed slightly, the canvas under his arm making it a bit difficult.

 

“Welcome to Camelot, Mr Roderick.”

 

“Please, just _Roderick_ is fine, my lord,” the artist answered and smiled once more.

 

Arthur nodded and once the servants put everything on the prepared table in front of them, things could finally get started.

 

The servants left, the artist prepared his canvas and a small chair in front of it, and he seated Merlin and Arthur together on the bed, where he'd be painting them. The painting could finally begin.

 

Now Merlin and Arthur were both doomed to sitting on the bed for hours until the painting was finished. Thankfully, they had scheduled a few breaks for eating and using the bathroom.

 

The first hour was more or less without problems. Merlin kept itching in different places, but the artist assured him that he could move a tiny bit, if he returned back to the original position. Arthur's stomach kept making rumbling sounds because of how hungry he was, and they both kept eyeing the prepared and uneaten breakfast on the table that a servant must have brought in while they were still asleep.

 

Once the first hour was over, both of them soon realized that this would be agony. Why did paintings take so much time?

 

Luckily, after roughly 90 minutes, the first break was scheduled.

 

The artist left the chambers for a short walk to the bathroom, while Merlin and Arthur immediately stood up to stretch and go get the food on the table.

 

“I'm so hungry,” Arthur declared as he started on the bread and ham.

 

“We should have woken up earlier then,” Merlin told him, already biting into an apple.

 

Arthur only glared at him because it was Merlin's fault that they went to sleep too late and Merlin knew that. He'd taken off his ring to admire it _in the light of the moon_ as he'd said, and when Arthur entered the chambers, he accidentally dropped the ring on the floor. They hadn't been able to find it for another hour and a half, and the worst part was that Merlin didn't know how to use his magic to find it and he didn't want to risk accidentally destroying the ring with magic.

 

Arthur pouted and Merlin rolled his eyes. “The ring is safe and sound,” Merlin assured him as he showed him his finger with the ring.

 

“Just don't ever take it off again.”

 

They finished their breakfast and when the artist was still not coming back and was elsewhere in the castle, they both went to admire the painting.

 

When they looked at it, they were both very impressed. The artist had already managed to paint most of the background (just the main colours and outlines), as well as Merlin's and Arthur's bodies (again, only the colours and outlines), and the only thing that was still missing were their heads and joined hands on the bed.

 

“Well, he got you quite right,” Merlin smiled as he leaned closer and admired the outline of Arthur's body.

 

“Thanks, he got you quite right too-”

 

“You're fat.”

 

Arthur blinked.

 

“Excuse me, what?”

 

Merlin snorted, still admiring the painting from close. He pointed at the outline of Arthur's body. “See? He got you just right.”

 

“I'm not fat!” Arthur exclaimed. Then he looked down at his stomach. “It's just the armour! I've got many layers of clothing and-”

 

“well I'm mostly wearing the same, and I don't seem fat in the painting.”

 

Arthur knew Merlin didn't mean any of this seriously, he was just teasing him because that was something they often did. But right now?

 

“Well, he got your ears just as big as they are!” Arthur smirked at him.

 

Merlin smirked back. “He hasn't painted the faces yet, so there are no ear-”

 

Arthur grabbed the nearest paintbrush and without thinking, quickly painted two big half circles as Merlin's ears.

 

Merlin gasped.

 

“Did you just . . . “

 

Arthur proudly crossed his arms on his chest and smirked at Merlin, as if he was saying _I'd like to see you try up your game now._

 

Merlin stared at the ruined painting and then glared at Arthur, but he couldn't _lose._ He smirked at him with determination in his eyes and took the paintbrush from Arthur. He wetted it in the yellow paint and without looking, smashed it into the painting exactly where Arthur's head was.

 

“Oh look,” Merlin faked a surprise, still staring at Arthur. “He got your hair all tousled.”

 

To be honest, Arthur was impressed with Merlin. But he would _not_ let this slide. He'd made sure many times that his hair would never be tousled in a painting. And Merlin _knew_ that.

 

Arthur smirked and grabbed an entire tube of colour, squeezing it in Merlin's direction. Before Merlin realized what was about to happen, his clothes were ruined.

 

He grabbed another colour and squeezed it at Arthur's face in defence, completely missing, but at least hitting a part of Arthur's shoulder.

 

This was no longer mere teasing, this was _war._

The artist was just finishing talking to a fellow creative commoner on the courtyard, when he finally headed back to the king's chambers. He knew he was late, but from what he saw earlier, he knew both the king and his consort deserved a long break. They were clearly not used to sitting without moving for long periods of time. Although, an hour and a half didn't seem _that_ long to the artist.

 

He ran up the stairs finishing an apple that he'd bought earlier and turned the corner, on his way to the chambers.

 

When he finally opened the door- he did _not_ expect to see what was happening there.

 

The king was holding a paintbrush with one hand and lord Merlin with his other, while lord Merlin was holding a tube of his best colour, carelessly splashing it all over the royal attire of his king.

 

Roderick's mouth was agape with shock. “What . . . “

 

When they noticed him, all movement stopped and everything got silent.

 

For a few seconds, nothing happened.

 

Then suddenly, the king and lord Merlin let go of each other, brushing off each other's clothes and returning all the stolen items from the artist's table.

 

“Roderick, I most humbly apologize-”

 

“We're terribly sorry-”

 

They both started apologizing at once, but Roderick didn't really listen. He didn't even close the door as he approached them and looked at the painting – _ruined._ All his work!

 

“I'll pay you for all of this, Roderick. I am truly sorry.”

 

Roderick didn't know what to say. He couldn't scold the young king because well, he was the _king_ , but to be honest . . . this wasn't his best painting. He'd found himself wishing at least three times that he could erase what he'd already painted, but he couldn't do anything about it until now. So in fact, _this_ was his chance to do better.

 

But double payment wasn't the worst thing either.

 

“The colours were expensive, my lord.”

 

King Arthur was already shaking his head. “That is no problem, I'll pay for _everything_ we damaged.”

 

Roderick sighed. “I'll have to start over . . . get a new canvas, and you should, uhm,” he very loosely gestured at Merlin and Arthur's _colourful_ clothes. “Should change. But . . . I _have_ to leave Camelot tomorrow morning, so there's really no time for that.”

 

Lord Merlin looked up at the king and although Roderick didn't know what they were both thinking about, they soon turned to him with a smile and told him.

 

“We don't mind the ruined clothes.”

 

“Just get a new canvas and we'll start over-”

 

“Even with the ruined clothes.”

 

Roderick eyed them for a second. “Are you sure?” But who was he to question the king and his consort?

 

When they both nodded, Roderick smiled. “Very well. I will get my spare canvas and get back here to paint you again.”

 

They both thanked him and Roderick once again headed towards the door, this time in search of a new canvas instead of food.

Once the artist left, Merlin and Arthur looked at each other and although they felt quite guilty, they couldn't help but laugh. Especially because of how _ridiculous_ the ruined painting looked now.

 

“I quite like this bit, you know,” Merlin smiled as he pointed towards the corner of the painting, where a few splashes of different colours met.

 

Arthur smiled. “You know what my favourite colour is?”

 

“What?” Merlin smiled up at him.

 

“The colour of your hair in the morning before you wake up.”

 

Merlin smirked at him. “Is that even a colour?” He laughed. When Arthur rolled his eyes, Merlin pulled him closer.

 

“My favourite colour is the colour of your lips . . . just before I kiss you.” He stared up at him.

 

“Like this?” Arthur asked, smirking.

 

“Exactly like this.”

 

They leaned closer and kissed. Thankfully, none of the colour from their _battle_ ended up on their faces, and the kiss lasted until the artist returned.

 

He brought a new canvas, setting the ruined painting aside. Merlin and Arthur kept it, and sat back down on the bed, holding their hands, letting the artist begin.

 

This was time for a painting of the _real_ Merlin and Arthur. And it would be as colourful as their life together would be.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I don't like this one at all, but I still hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
